The Digester

Greek appeals court upholds Golden Dawn criminal convictions

Mar 10th 2026

The Criminal Appeal Court in Athens unanimously confirmed 2020 convictions against 42 members of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn, including leader Nikos Michaloliakos, and upheld the murder ruling over the 2013 killing of rapper Pavlos Fyssas.

  • A five-judge panel in Athens unanimously confirmed the 2020 convictions of 42 Golden Dawn members for running a criminal organization.
  • Party leader Nikos Michaloliakos was among those upheld as guilty; he was sentenced to 13 years and released on parole last year for health reasons.
  • The court also upheld the 2020 murder conviction related to the 2013 killing of left-wing rapper Pavlos Fyssas.
  • The original trial lasted about five years and concluded that Golden Dawn operated under the guise of a political party while engaging in criminal activity.
  • Golden Dawn, founded in the 1980s, rose during Greece's financial crisis and held parliamentary seats from 2012 to 2019 before the probe and trials began.